Nut-holding socket wrench



S p 1957 A. FOGEL 2,805,594

NUT-HOLDING SOCKET WRENCH Filed F'eb. 10. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VENTOR. 4 420 4/ F0 6:1

AZ'I'OPNE r Se t. 10, 1957 A. FOG EL 2,805,594

NUT-HOLDING SOCKET WRENCH Filed Feb. 10. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /Z ,641421? INVENTOR.

arromvar 2,805,594 NUT-HOLDING SOCKET WRENCH Aaron Fogel, JacksonHeights, N. Y. Application February 10, 1955, Serial No. 487,420 2Claims. (Cl. 81-125) This invention relates to socket wrenches and moreparticularly to a nut-retaining or holding device therefor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a nutholding socketwrench which has a retaining or holding device incorporated therein forthe purpose of retaining in the wrench the nut being applied or removedfrom a screw or bolt whereby loss of the same when working in closequarters will be minimized and the effort of securing the nut orremoving the same from a bolt reduced to a minimum amount.

It is another object of the invention to provide a retaining device forwrench sockets that is sufficiently small and effective to be used uponvery small nut sockets without running into interference with otherparts of the mechanism or electric unit upon which work is beingperformed.

It is another object of the invention to provide a retaining device forwrench sockets of small size which is applied to the socket in such away as to engage the side of the nut at the outer open end of the socketso that the nut can be kept within the socket only a minimum distanceand readily available for removal therefrom, and where the nut is moreor less flat and has but a length in the order of less than one-eighthof an inch.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a toolfor use by television and radio operators and assemblers or mechanics sothat the control of the small nuts being used, added or removed, can bemaintained.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a nutretaining orholding device for wrench sockets that can be formed in an easy mannerand added to a standard wrench socket with little alteration beingrequired of the socket to secure the retainer thereupon and wherein theretainer can be secured upon the socket in a simple, quick and snap-likemanner.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a nut-retainingdevice for wrench sockets wherein means are provided on the device torelease the device from the nut so that the nut can be dropped from thesocket by simply inserting a finger nail or by squeezing the clipbetween two fingers.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a spring nut-retaining orholding device for wrench sockets which is simple in construction,inexpensive to manufacture, and is efficient in operation and use.

For other objects and a better understanding of the invention referencemay be had to the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a socket wrench having a handle and a socketwith the nut-retaining device of the present invention attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the nut socket shownin Fig. 1 the view being taken on the section line 22 of Fig. 3, butshowing a nut within the socket;

nited States Patent ice Fig. 3 is an end face view of the nut socketshown in Figs. 1 and 2, but omits the nut shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the nut socket and retainingdevice therefor, the same being inverted and looking into the open endof the socket;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective bottom view of a socket wrench similarto that shown in Fig. 1 but employing a modified form of the retainingdevice;

Fig. 6 is a bottom fragmentary perspective view of the wrench similar tothat shown in Fig. 1 but employing a still further modifiednut-retaining device;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of a wrench adapted for use on small nuts andwherein the operating shank is detachable from the socket;

Fig. 8 reproduces a lower fragment of Fig. 7 in elevation, but has partsbroken away and shown in section in order to illustrate a nut within thesocket;

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the socket shown in Figs. 7 and 8 butomits the nut;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the socket and retaining ring shown in Fig. 5but with the retaining ring applied to the socket from an oppositedirection and with an illustration made as to the manner in which thefinger is applied to release the ring;

Fig. 11 is a bottom perspective view of a wrench socket, particularlyadapted for large nuts and having a modified form of retaining device;

Fig. 12 is a bottom perspective view of a still further form of theinvention wherein the retaining ring has two projections for contactingthe nut;

Figs. 13, 14, 15 and 16 are fragmentary sectional views taken generallyat 13-13 of Fig. 10, but showing respectively different projections ofthe retaining device and illustrating their different manner of engagingthe sides of the nuts.

Fig. 17 is a bottom plan view of a socket employing a still further formof the invention wherein there are two nut engaging projections andexternal release projections which are squeezed by the thumb and fingerto release the nut from the socket, a portion of the socket being brokenaway and shown in section;

Fig. 18 is an elevation of the wrench socket shown in Fig. 17 and asviewed in the direction of arrows l8-18 thereof.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, 20 represents ahollow shank that has a handle 21 on one end and an integral wrenchsocket 22 on its lower end. In the bottom of the socket is a recess 23adapted to receive a hexagonal nut 24. A central opening 25 extendsupwardly from the recess 23 and intothe shank 28 so as to accommodate aportion of a bolt from which the nut 24 may be released or onto which itmay be threaded.

According to the present invention, there has been provided in thesocket 22 a slot cut into the front face thereof as indicated at 25'.This slot is adapted to receive a projection 26 of a springretaining-band or nut-holding device 27. This band 27 surrounds thesocket more than halfway and one end 28 of the band adjacent theprojection 26 is made only half as wide as the remainder of the band,and the band has an elongated depression 29 that enters a notch 30 inthe side of the socket; The projection 26 will engage one of the sidefaces of the nut 24 and will retain the nut in the recess 23.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a modified form of a nutretaining ring. Thisring is indicated generally at 32 and has a depression 33 that entersthe notch 30 in the socket 22. This projection and notch prevent thering 32 from slipping off the end of the socket. The ring has anintermediate slit 34 which provides an independently severed or struckportion 35 that is bent to provide a folded projection 36 that willextend through the slot 25 and an outwardly extended end 37 that servesas a finger lift by which the projection 36 can be pulled outwardly torelease. the nut. Upon the end 37 being released, the portion and theprojection 36 will spring back into place. The ring 32 has spaced endswhich can be sprung apart to fit the ring upon the socket 22.

InFig. 6, there is shown a still further form of ring device which issubstantially the same as shown in Fig. 5, but which is more narrow andwhich is inverted with respect to the position of the ring device 32.This ring device isindicated at 40 and is fitted upon a socket 41 thatis of greater length than the above-mentioned socket 22 to pro vide adeeper recess 42 than the recess 23 of the other socket so as to receivelarger nuts. This socket 41 has a deep slot 43 cut therein. The ringdevice 40 has a depression 44 that fits into a circumferential notch inthe outer surface of the socket 41 and adjacent to one side of the slot43. The ring 40 is cut :at 45 to provide a flexing portion 46 in which.is struck a projection 47 that extends through the slot 43 forengagement with a nut and a finger-lift end 48 under which the fingernail can be inserted to flex the portion 46 outwardly to release theprojection 47 from the nut within the recess 42.

Since thenuts are large and enter a deep recess, the projection 47 maybe located in the bottom of the slot 43 adjacent the bottom of therecess 42 for engagement with a side wall of a nut. Overlying theprojection 47 is a bridging portion 49 that terminates in the springends of the device 40 that partly surround the periphery of the socket.

Referring now to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, there is shown a socket-wrenchassembly wherein any one of a set of sockets are removable from a shank51 having a handle 52. A socket 53 is recessed to receive the lower endof the shank 51 that has a ball detent 54 to engage the side of therecess to hold the socket against longitudinal dis placement from theshank 51. This socket 53 has a re duced-diameter end 55 having a nutrecess 56 therein for receiving a nut 57. A nut-retaining device similarto the device shown in Fig. 5 and as indicated at 58 is fitted on theoutermost part of the reduced diameter end 55 of the socket and has aprojection 59 that projects through .a

slot 60 for engagement with a nut 57. This nut-retaining ring 58 has adepression 61 that enters a notch 62 to hold the device against outwarddisplacement from the socket. Other sockets 53 for different-sized nutsand hav ing different-sized nut-retaining rings 58 can be connected tothe shank 51.

In Fig. 11, a nut-retaining band 65 is fitted upon a socket 66 having adeep recess 67 for large nuts. Instead of providing in the socket a slotcut from the end face thereof, there is provided a side hole drilledthrough the wall of the socket and into the recess 67 as indicated at68. The retaining ring 65 also has oppositely disposed depressions 69and 70 that fit into correspondingly located, circumferentiallyextending notches'in the outer surface of the socket.

Midway between inner and outer ends of the band 65 and intermediate thedepressions 69 and 70, a projection 71' is struck from the material ofthe device and folded upon itself so that it extends into the hole 68for engagement with a nut. This projection will engage the nut in therecess 67 and at the same time will by engagement with the walls of thehole 68 help to hold the retaining device against displacement from theend of the socket.

In Fig. 12 a nut-retaining device 71 is fitted about a socket 72. Thissocket has a recess 73 for receiving a large nut and instead of havingone hole extending through the side wall of the socket as in the form ofthe invention shown in Fig. 11, it has two circumferentially spacedholes 74 and 75. The nut-retaining device 71 has two folded and struckprojections 76 and 77 projecting respectively through the respectiveholes 74 and for engagement with two nonadjacent sides of a nut that maybe disposed in the recess 73. These projections will not only serve toengage the out but will also serve to hold the retaining device againstdisplacement from the socket 72. Both of these projections are struckfrom an intermediate portion of the retaining device. The retainingdevice 71 has an elongated depression '78 that projects into acircumferential notch intermediate the openings 74 and 75 to furtherhold the retaining device against displacement from the socket 72.

In Fig. 10 there is illustrated the manner in which the nut is releasedinthe forms of the invention shown in Figures 5 through 9. It will benoted that the finger nail is inserted under the end 37 of the struckportion 35 to lift the projection out of contact with the nut 24 so thatthe nut can be dropped from the recess 23. The projection 47 in Fig. 6can be similarly released from a nut.

In Figs. 17 and 18, there is shown a still further form .of theinvention in which form two inwardly extending projections 80 and 81 areprovided upon a nut-retaining band 82 and in which form the bandcompletely surrounds a socket 83 having projection-receiving slots 86and 87, and is released therefrom by squeezing two outwardly extendingprojections 84 and 85 on the band to release the pressure of theprojections 81 and 80 upon opposite faces of a nut located in a recess88 of the socket 83.

The projections 84 and 85 are respectively formed on the ends ofrespective overlying half-width extensions 89 and '90. These extensionsslide by one another as the projections 34 and 85 are depressed orreleased.

In Figs. 13 to 16, taken generally on line 13-13 of Fig. 10, there isshown various forms of projections adapted for engagement withdifferent-sized nuts. These projections are struck from the retainingdevice by differentshaped striking tools so as to provide nut-contactingsurfaces having different profiles so that the projections will engage aside face of the nut 24 at different distances from an end face of thenut. To insure an adequate grip on a nut, it only becomes necessary toselect a nut-retaining ring having a projection of the proper profile.The nutconfronting face of each of the projections is curved or roundedso as to have line contact with the side face of the nut 24.

If the socket wrench is to be used with large nuts, the contacting endsor points of the projection 37 can conform to the shapes shown in Figs.13 and 15. In the form of the projection shown in Fig. 13, a side faceof the nut 24 is engaged substantially intermediate the width or axialdimension of the projection 36 as indicated at 91. In Fig. 15, the lineof contact is at 92 and is spaced from the center of the projectiontoward the bottom wall of the socket. In this case, a thick nut can beadequately gripped by the projection.

In Fig. 14, the line of contact 93 is spaced from the center of theprojection toward the open end of the socket. This particular projectionprofile is adapted for engagement of a out of minimum thickness.

In Fig. 16, there is formed a more or less flat contact surface asindicated at 94 so as to insure satisfactory engagement with nuts ofdifferent thicknesses.

The nut-engaging faces of all these projections are of necessity roundedin order to allow the nut to be pressed into the recess without manualretraction of the projection.

All of the retaining devices are formed on a mandrel which is slightlyundersize with respect to the outside diameter of a socket on which thedevice is to be used. Once the retaining device has been rolled intoshape, it can be heat treated and tempered to provide the necessaryamount of spring action for biasing the projection against a nut.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a nut-holdingsocket wrench which has a nut-retaining or holding device incorporatedtherein. It should be further apparent that this retaining device isparticularly adapted for use upon socket wrenches adapted to be usedwith small nuts of the variety such as used in television and radiosets.

While various changes may be made in details of construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be Within the function and scopeof the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A nut-retaining socket Wrench having a nut opening in the end thereofand a side opening extending radially through the wall of the socket andinto the nut opening, a nut-retaining device formed of a spring bandsurrounding the socket and having an inwardly extending projectionpassing through said radial opening and into the recess for engagementwith a nut contained therein, said band having a struck portion and saidprojection being formed on said struck portion, said struck portionrunning circumferentially of the band and independently bendableoutwardly from the body of the band and from the side of the socket, andsaid struck portion having its end projecting outwardly to provide afinger lift under which the finger nail of the operator can be extendedto bend the struck portion outwardly to release the projection from thenut so that the nut can be released from the socket.

2. A nut-retaining socket wrench having a nut opening in the end thereofand a side opening extending radially through the wall' of the socketand into the nut opening, a nut-retaining device formed of a spring bandsurrounding the socket and having an inwardly extending projectionpassing through said radial opening and into the recess for engagementwith a nut contained therein, said band having a struck portion and saidprojection being formed on said struck portion, said struck portionrunning circumferentially of the band and independently bendableoutwardly from the body of the band and from the side of the socket, andsaid opening in the socket being in the form of a notch extending fromthe end face of the socket and said projection on said band lyingadjacent the forward edge of the band and in said notch whereby a nut ofsmall thickness can be retained by the projection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS145,399 Colbert Dec. 9, 1873 563,193 Leach June 30, 1896 603,159 TylerApr. 26, 1898 720,786 Covey Feb. 17, 1903 794,110 McDowell July 4, 19051,063,673 Frederick June 3, 1913 1,114,123 Dalton Oct. 20, 19141,297,560 Groenenstein Mar. 18, 1919 1,493,983 Hurley May 13, 19242,616,322 Spreng Nov. 4, 1952 2,664,021 Clayson Dec. 29, 1953 FOREIGNPATENTS 118,763 Sweden Apr. 29, 1947

